


Friendship is Sparkly

by Piff



Series: Bye Bye Birdy [22]
Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Baby and Jack are not very sneaky, Cannibalism is Natural, Elvish Army, GLITTER WILL RULE OVER ALL, Gen, Hollow is a Brony, Jack is a Brony, Jack loves glitter, Mother Nature is pissed, My Little Nightmare, Pitch does not love glitter, Pitch hates everyone, Pitch is amused, Tooth thinks Jack is hilarious, Toothfairies love glitter, poor Nightmare
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-11
Updated: 2014-02-22
Packaged: 2018-01-12 00:52:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1179965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Piff/pseuds/Piff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Baby Tooth knows a way into the Warren. What could go wrong?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Okay, before you turn around, it’s not as bad as it looks.”

Pitch closed his eyes tightly, shoulders hunching.

“It’s actually a very funny story.”

Pitch closed his book and set it aside, but pretty sure he still didn’t want to know.

“Nothing was permanently damaged!”

“Are you bleeding?” 

“Not... anymore?”

“Will someone be coming after you?”

“No, no I think that’s been covered already.”

Pitch slowly turned around to look at the Sprite shifting from foot to foot behind him.

“…..Happy Easter Pitch!” 

There was no way to stop it, Pitch started laughing and didn’t stop for some time.

Jack was splattered with paint and glitter from head to toe, looking as if he’d been dropped into a tie-dye mixer. Blue here, pink there, some splashes of green and yellow and purple. Glitter wandered up and around his legs and arms. Even the feathers braided into his shaggy hair were a myriad of color. 

“So Baby Tooth knew a way into the Warren and since the Rabbit was supposed to be out hiding eggs…”

Ah yes, that would be the pink and yellow splotch sitting on Jack’s shoulder. 

“Did you know there are giant stone egg men guarding the Warren? Pushed me right into the river! Downright rude!”

Pitch pressed a fist against his mouth to muffle the laughs, though he couldn’t stop the smile.

“And my Nightmare tried to pull me out but…”

Which explained the best part, the glittery purple and blue horse skulking at Jack’s back. There was even a large splotchy patch of red on it’s hip.

“So… Want a hug?”


	2. Chapter 2

“Alright, so let’s review. Red team,” six tiny Toothfairies stood at attention, red cords wrapped around their waists, “you are the bait and you let the Nightmares chase you and think they are winning.” There were chirps and nods of agreement. “Stay far enough ahead they don’t ACTUALLY catch you, but don’t get too far away either in case they lose interest.”

“Blue Team,” four Fairies girded in blue, “you are the lookouts in case someone doesn’t fall for it or gets extra sneaky.”

“Babytooth?”

Cheeping right under his ear from where she’d been studying the map frosted onto the ground, Babytooth saluted him cheerfully. 

“You’re with me, we’ll wrangle up a couple more Nightmares because the more the better right?”

Jack rubbed his hands together and surveyed the Green Team with their little green satchels.

“I’m counting on YOU guys to be in place and out of sight until the right time. You are the key to my plans. Stick with it, and we’ll all go have a celebratory lunch at Sandy’s island. Good? Alright gang, let’s do this! Operation Friendship is Sparkly has begun!”

Pitch couldn’t have possibly meant Jack could only ever bring one Fairy home, he must have just meant THAT time. Made perfect sense. One fairy the first visit, two fairies the second visit... it was math. It was LOGIC!

The Nightmares were going to –love- this. Friendship was magic and the nightmares needed to know they had friends. Friends willing to cover them in glitter. Really, they only had themselves to blame for picking on Twinkle Toes.

This was sure to make the Nightmare feel better; ALL the nightmares would be fabulous after today!

(Or as many as Jack could lure into the trap, but it sounded more impressive in the plans to say ALL OF THEM!)

And as a bonus, Sandy’s island would be a great place to hang out when Pitch found out all his ponies had been so prettily painted.

 

************

 

“JACK FROST!”

“Sandy! Save me!”

Sprite clinging to the chandelier, furious Nightmare King, and far too many glittering fairies... When did Sandy's home become the center of mayhem?

Sandy propped his chin on a fist and watched the festivities with a grin and cup of tea. The purple and blue Nightmare munched out of the sugar bowl beside him.


	3. Chapter 3

“Come on Tooth, you know you want a hug!”

“ACK! No! Feathers and glitter do not mix!” fleeing from Jack’s outstretched arms and trying not to run into a wall from laughing too hard. 

“Awww, but everyone’s doing it! Look at the fairies!”

Indeed, Jack had left with a flock of perfectly clean and tidy fairies and then returned them a glittery, sandy mess. It was going to take hours of scrubbing before it all came off!

She would be scolding them, and the one responsible for it all, but somehow found herself in a game of tag instead. To make it even more unfair, it wasn’t just Jack chasing her all around the Tooth palace but her own fairies! 

The ones covered in glitter.

Toothiana let out one last shriek of laughter as she found herself tackled out of the air and onto a balcony. Jack snuggled the birdy lady into a great big hug and rubbed as much glitter as possible onto her. She received the same treatment from each fairy as it clung to some part of her body. 

Toothiana was now a glittery, sandy mess who could not stop giggling. 

The rainbowed child raised his arms in the air with a whoop, then jumped away to crouch on the balcony railing and grin at her. “See? Everyone loves hugs!”

“Ohhhh look at me! I’m a mess! And I have a Guardian meeting later!” In vain she tried to dust herself off but it only spread out further among her feathers. A dozen and half of her fairies circled around her, sitting on her shoulders to nuzzle her cheek and offer happy chirps. 

There was not enough of the golden dream sand mixed with the glitter to send her to sleep, but she did feel more relaxed. But still. She wagged a scolding finger in Jack’s direction.

“I can’t send out fairies covered in glitter to retrieve teeth, they’d make a mess! And look at me, this is entirely NOT respectable!”

“Not like anyone is going to see.”

“That’s not... the other Guardians will see! “

Jack rolled his eyes but never lost his grin. “Just give them all a big hug and keep spreading the joy. Sandy is already clear though, you can skip him. But please, please make sure to cover the rabbit in as much glitter as possible. It’s HIS glitter. Blame him.”

“…yes, I remember his ranting about intruders at the Warren.”

“See? His Warren, his glitter. He should own up to his responsibility.” Jack tucked his staff under his arm, smiling serenely. 

Toothiana planted her hands on her hips. “And what was Pitch’s reaction to the whole mess?”

“He was a little louder than I had expected,” Jack held his fingers close together. “But just a little.”

“Well if you ever need someplace safe to stay…”

“Nuh uh! You’re not allowed to talk bad about my parental figure, it’s against the rules. I don’t sway your minions to the dark side of sugar, you don’t dis the dad.” 

Toothiana loved it when Jack visited, even if she really should be working. He was just such… fun! Shaking her head with a laugh and moving on- “North says he will be inviting you to the New Year’s dinner, are you sure you don’t want to come? There’s so much good food and music...”

“Nah, I’m going to the other one with Pitch. Sandy is helping me with my costume this year and it’s going to be -great-. Too bad you’ll be too busy to see it.”

“If you would just stop by for a little bit of time at North’s party…”

Jack rolled his eyes. “North is CREEPY. He sends me weird gifts that don’t make sense and always invites me to come over but that I shouldn’t tell Pitch because Pitch won’t say I can, and he NEVER invites Pitch even though I’m the child and Pitch is the parent and that’s -rude-. He’s creepy, rude, and Bunny hates me.”

She joined him on the balcony rail, ankles crossed neatly as she sat down. “North is very enthusiastic; I can see how that would be creepy. But what do you mean weird gifts?”

Glitter showered the air as Jack waved his arms around. “He gave me ice skates! ICE SKATES! I don’t need skates to walk on ice! And footballs, who would I play with? The Nightmares? He gives me this stuff that human boys like, I think, and most of the time I don’t have any way to play with it.” He crossed his arms over his chest to pout. “I think it’s just an afterthought. He doesn’t REALLY want to send me a gift, he just thinks he should cause he’s -Santa Clause- and he just remembered I’m still a kid.”

“Oh sweetheart...” she wrapped an around the boy’s shoulders in a sideways hug. There were dismayed chirps from the fairies as those pretty, pretty teeth got hidden away in the pout. Baby Tooth snuggled up against his neck and patted him comfortingly. 

“…this is boring. Let’s play a game!” He startled a laugh out of Toothiana. Most certainly an easy child to perk up, she hadn’t even needed to say anything! 

“I suppose I can spare a little more time... what would you like to play?”

Jack grinned up at her. “Ever hear of a game called Simon Says?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta'ed by the great and wonderful Shinku!


	4. Chapter 4

Jack threw himself onto the couch, throwing the yearly cream-colored envelope towards the fire but too lazy to actually aim so it flittered off to the side. Stretched out across the cushions on his back he held up the brightly wrapped box over his head.

“I know whatever it is will be silly and stupid and not worth the time spent unwrapping it. And yet I can’t just NOT open it. It’s impossible. I MUST know. The WORLD must know!”

“Then do so already so that you can move on to more interesting things.” He didn’t need to look up from his current reading material to know Jack was shredding the paper wrapping. The only part Jack really enjoyed from year to year was the bundle of ribbons tied around the box, soon transferred to Jack’s staff.

Eventually though the silence forced Pitch to raise his eyes. “…and? What unimaginative trinket has North sent you this year?” 

As Jack only continued to stare into the box, Pitch grew worried. Had North finally cracked and sent a box of coal? But before he could ask Jack slowly started to smile and Pitch relaxed back into his seat. Briefly. What in Moon’s name was THAT?

“It’s TWINKLE TOES!” 

“...what?”

 

*************

 

Pitch couldn’t believe he was allowing this. Pitch couldn’t believe Jack was -excited- about this. But the boy was beaming from ear to ear and even when Pitch had tried to curtail it by insisting that Jack must wear boots to this sort of formal event... Jack just wore the boots. 

That’s it. 

The end was near.

Scowling down at the boy, Pitch’s fingers itched to grab Jack by the shoulders and escort him back home. “You are going to be bored. This is a very adult dinner, not one meant for children. You will have to be mannerly and polite.”

“Tooth will be there, and Sandy will be there, and I want to ask North about the ‘My Little Pony’ thing so I can’t be TOO bored. Do you think he’ll have more? Even some extras he won’t need for next year? How many kinds of ponies do you think there are? “

Jack hadn’t stopped chattering about the blasted ponies since he had opened his gift. Now sitting in his bedroom displayed like a trophy was this rubbery monstrosity of a horse that had some vague similarities to Jack’s pet Nightmare. They didn’t look THAT much alike, and the Nightmare had looked normal for MONTHS now (sort of), but Jack was just thrilled. And it was driving Pitch crazy.

Jack held his arms out and spun a little. “Do I look alright? Am I respectable? Will you let me come back home?” 

It was on the tip of Pitch’s tongue to be snarky and say No, Jack must stay at the Pole, but he reined himself in at the last second. “Of course you can come home. Though by the time you leave the dinner at the Pole, you should just meet me at the New Year’s celebration. That is, if you are still inclined to go.”

Sulky Pitch. Pouting Pitch. The Guardians were stealing his Sprite! With toxic colored -ponies-.

“Awwww, don’t be like that Pitch. I’ll be there, promise! I have to show off my costume don’t I?”

Pitch found himself glowering even more. All Sanderson’s fault. HE had helped Jack put together the costume for the New Year’s event, and since it was right after the dinner Jack was wearing it to both. And because of THAT Jack had changed his previous plans to... this. 

That blasted -pony-.

Jack just laughed, pulling the black hood over his head. A mane of purple yarn ran over the head and down Jack’s back, a pair of black ears and a horn stood up on top. Swirls of glittery blue and purple covered the hoody pockets. The pants were plain black, but Pitch did not know where Sanderson had managed to find a pair of purple GLITTERY boots. 

There were -wings- attached to the back of the hoody. And a -tail-. Every time Pitch looked at Jack he wanted to press his hands over his eyes. 

Once could think that for such a formal event Jack should be dressed nicely, in regular clothes. Fancy clothes even. But if Pitch was forced to endure Jack’s chattering about the dinner at all, then he could force upon them this horrifically cutesy costume. …had he thought cute? No, he meant horrifically childish. 

Pitch suddenly found himself wrapped up in a hug, arms around his waist and Jack smiling up at him. “I’ll bring you back some cookies, kay? See you at the party!”

Pitch was going to kill North for this. And Sanderson for helping. And Toothiana, because surely this must be partly her fault too. And just for the hell of it, Bunny. 

ALL of them must die.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JACK IS A BRONY NOW! Fear for your sanity!
> 
> And I forgot to mention, this was ALL THE FAULT of MoiraColleen and DarkInuFan. And of course Shinku cause she beta'ed. :D


	5. Chapter 5

North planted his fists on his hips and surveyed the groaning table with pride. It was smothered under dishes that spanned the simple (fresh rolls and butter) to the complicated (the famed Turducken). There were mountains of cookies, pies and cakes in many flavors, and even ice cream in case the dishes were found too hot for their Guest of Honor. Tonight would be the feasts of all feasts!

North had just known that Jack would come around eventually. Sure, he might have taken a little more care in the gifts, but he’d gotten it right this year! All was going according to plan!

“North, I don’t think even the Yetis could eat all this if given a week!” Tooth hovered behind his shoulders, eyes wide. 

“Nonsense! It would take Yetis an hour. You said give Jack options since we don’t know favorite food, and so I give options!” 

North looked so pleased with himself that Tooth couldn’t continue her protests. Just patted him weakly on the shoulder. “It’s very nice North.”

“Oh hell, not you –too-.”

“Bunny, you’re on time!” North grabbed the Pooka into a big hug, never once paying attention to the grumbles.

“You won’t do that to Jack will you? He won’t like it...” Tooth wrung her hands during the friendly mauling.

“I promise to be very respectful of Jack’s space, he will be given time to get used to us. And what about us two Bunny, are you not excited for the party?”

Smoothing ruffled fur with grumbles and a glower, “I meant HER.” A gesture towards Toothiana, “she’s joined the insanity. Half the spirit world is spewing glitter this year, and if I catch whoever it is hassling my egg warriors...”

Tooth coughed a little. The feathers around her eyes had been delicately drizzled with glitter swirls, larger swirls going down her arms and on her feathery ‘skirt’. All shades of pink and gold and matched the jeweled tiara on her head. “…I didn’t want Jack to be uncomfortable since he’ll be in costume for the New Year’s ball.”

Bunny just covered his face with his paws. “WHY are we catering to this ball of trouble?”

“Because Manny says he’s important,” beamed North.

“Because being friendly is not catering, it’s being -nice-,” with a reproachful look at both the men. “Jack is a good boy, and you frighten him. North by being so… enthusiastic, and you by being so grumpy. Would it hurt you to be nice to a -child- for one evening?”

“Course not! Is what we do, being nice to children. Where is music? Where is my elves?” North shouted as he stomped off, entirely too gleeful over it all and ignoring the look from Toothiana. North was always nice to the children!

“Bunny…”

The Pooka glared. “It’s not like I plan to eat the little jerk soon as he shows up.”

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Jack tried not to squirm in his chair, pulling his hood down low over his forehead as he tried to hide behind the... turkey? Ostrich? Giant baked bird.

Now, he might have the wrong idea and all, but Jack was pretty darn sure the woman seated across from him wished to carve his flesh from his bones and use them as dinnerware.

Which was odd, because he didn’t recall doing anything lately to upset Mother Nature. If anything, he thought the Rabbit would be the one watching him like that. And as if it wasn’t weird enough, she kept calling him Little Brother.

Which was… kinda... weird. By a lot.

But hey, Sandy was on his left and Tooth was on his right AND they were both glittery! Glitter –rocked-. Bonus point – Baby Tooth was here and she was actually sitting on his lap chirping into his hoody pocket at Twinkle Toes. 

The cuteness almost balanced out the weirdness. 

Jack peeked up a little, and yup. Still watching him. 

“Jack, would you like to see th-“

“YES.” Jack was up out of his seat and standing next to North’s chair before the man could finish. Half eaten cookie paused before North’s lips the man blinked, then smiled widely.

“Good! Workshop is filled with all sorts of wonders. You will like it!”

Standing next to North made Jack feel incredibly small once the man stood to lead the way. The stare at his back made Jack’s shoulders itch as he trailed after, resisting the urge to look back. He sighed with relief once out of sight of the dining room and pushed the hood off his head to look around curiously.

“I thought you had the bug hairy guys working for you?”

“Yeti are all on vacation, a reward for all their hard work. Come, I’ll show you how I work.”

Jack tried to follow the tall Russian, but it was hard! There were work tables with neat looking tools to be examined. Bolts of cloth in amazing patterns, and LOOK AT ALL THE SHINY RIBBONS! Oooo what was that? 

North was looking more and more amused each time he turned to say something to his visitor only to find Jack distracted by yet another thing. The main floor was clear of the piles of toys and gadgets, but still held enough to make the boy bounce around like a rubber ball. THIS was how he’d expected Jack to act, not some silent and still creature at the table. 

Scratching at his beard North admitted to himself that perhaps it had not been such a good idea to invited Mother Nature AND Jack to the same dinner. Pitch was a touchy subject in the best of cases…

\-------------------------------------------------------

Toothiana’s wings blurred in the air as she hunted for their missing host and guest of honor. Wasn’t like North to just abandon them all for so long, how much time did one need to look at chisels and ice blocks? …and she was worried about Jack. 

However, such worry was obviously not needed. Tooth was pleased to note she was not the only one to revert to such childishness because of Jack, even as she stuck her fingers in her ears to block out the noise.

North had barricaded himself at one end of the room with a long table; he had a catapult and plenty of ammunition that came in all shapes and sizes. At the opposite was Jack, behind another table with an army of elves and snowballs. From the mess of stuffed animals and beanbags and splotches of snow, they had been at it for a while.

“CHAAAAARGE!” 

“FIRE AT WILL!”

North was wearing a football helmet, the paint crooked and thus rejected. Jack had pulled the hood of his pony-coat down low for protection, and a pair of green-glass goggles. 

The horde of elves were either wrapped with shiny ribbons and blue paint dabbed on their faces.

In the words of Jack, it was EPIC.

North had not had so much fun in… decades. Out of munitions and the last of his elves in the fray, North just laughed. Noticing Tooth, he just laughed some more. When he got a snowball to the face, he laughed louder yet. 

“Wonderful! Wonderful! Next time, we go outside. Yeti’s will throw fit when they see this. Next time, Tooth will join us and we battle three ways!”

Scrambling over his barricade since the war seemed to be over for now, Jack grinned. “The fairies love a good snowball-fight! It’ll be fun!”

“If North has his elves, and I have the fairies, then what would you fight with Jack?” Why bother trying to protest, it sounded like fun. 

“Nightmares of course.”

Of course. Tooth rolled her eyes. Looked around the mess of a workshop and the still-fighting elves, and rolled her eyes again. Boys.

“I came to warn Jack that it’s almost time for him to leave if he wants’ to be on time for the New Year’s Party. And North, you-“

“We should all go!” North was incapable of talking quietly tonight. “None of us has been to the celebration in years, and why end the party now? We shall join Jack at the New Year’s Party!” He dropped an arm across Jack’s shoulders and beamed. “Pitch should be congratulated for raising such a fine boy!”

Toothiana and Jack blinked at him. Talk about non sequitar. 

“If you’d like…?”

“Yes, he should be congratulated. We were worried he would drive you to darkness, ruining lives and destroying the dreams of all. But you are a good kid Jack. A very good kid. I would like to be friends. …even if you wear odd clothes.”

It was just plain easier to focus on the last part. “HEY! It’s not odd! It’s My Little Pony! It’s GLITTERY!”

And that’s all that mattered!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just couldn't wiggle in a confrontation between Bunny and Jack, Bunny is trying to behave and Jack is scared of Mother Nature, lol.


	6. Chapter 6

“You know, this could have gone a lot worse.” Jack offered a star-shaped cookie to the Rainbow Dash sitting next to him. Which was, it should be noted, high up in a tree. High enough that the branches thinned out and they could look over the meadow, but not so high the branches threatened to give out under the weight of two boys.

Hollow took the cookie, trading it with a lump of fudge. “Most people LIKE that the Guardians never show up.”

“This is why we’re up here and not down there.” Mmm fudge. The best thing about hoodies was the big pockets. As long as Twinkle Toes didn’t eat it all.

“Don’t see why you had to drag -me- into it.”

“It’d be pretty boring up a tree with no one to talk to. And it was your idea.”

“Was not! I just said that it was too bad you couldn’t be in two places at once!”

“Eh, same thing.”

“Jerk.”

“Figment.”

“Snowman.”

“Bag of air.”

Good thing Jack had grabbed some drinks, even if he’d had to freeze them so as to not spill while climbing up. He handed the glass of red ice, cherry lemonade?, to Hollow.

“Pitch doesn’t look happy.”

Jack’s head turned to see what Hollow was pointing, squinting. “Yeah… Mother Nature is pissed off about something, and I wasn’t gunna ask. She has this stare that just goes right through you, like she’s trying to decide which organ to remove. Pretty creepy if you ask me.”

“Think they’ll fight?”

“Nah, Pitch doesn’t mess with the ladies too much. He says it’s un-gentlemanly.”

“Well, she just hit him. Where’s he stand on that?”

“…good question. Looks like he’s either trying to give her a hug or strangle her.”

“Your dad is -weird-.”

“Like yours is any better!”

“…yeah. Yours doesn’t take his head off to replace it with a gourd.”

Jack thought about that… then shook his head. “Well, Pitch sleeps under his bed half the time. We’re even.”

“If she keeps hitting him, it might be for the best. Good hiding spot.”

“North will calm her down.”

“Before or after he drinks the Tricksters under the table?”

“Bunny looks pretty flattened so shouldn’t be too much longer. Bet Coyote or Anansi will make him regret falling asleep so early.”

The boys giggled. With glitter being all the rage of high fashion this year… no guess on what Bunny would wake up covered with.

“Christmas colors?”

“Christmas colors,” Jack agreed, clinking his frozen glass against Hollow’s.

“I’m not surprised that the Tooth Fairy is having the best time so far. Without getting drunk.”

“Hard to get in trouble with the Swan Maidens, they just want to giggle and play with hair and coo over... whatever pretty thing is at hand.”

“Like Toothiana.”

“Well she IS really pretty.”

“True. We sh-”

“Aaaand there goes North to the rescue... HA! He nearly took both of them down. His hugs are -lethal-, let me tell you.”

“Mmm… I don’t think that was a good idea.”

“…no. No it wasn’t. Wanna go... somewhere else?”

“Yeah. Mother Nature’ll calm down eventually, but prob’ly not tonight. Good luck with Pitch.”

“I make excellent ice packs.”

**Author's Note:**

> I like to think that being dye and not just paint, it's not going to come off for a good loooooong while.


End file.
